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It never ceases to amaze us how generous friends and strangers can be and how willing they are to join us on this journey to end breast cancer.

Over the last month and especially the past week as we prepared for our second annual Breast Yard Sale Ever, we witnessed so many acts of love, kindness, caring and giving. It was humbling and heartwarming, and we are forever appreciative.

To all those who cleaned out their homes, packed up carloads of items, hauled them over to Jill’s house and donated them to the sale, thank you. All your weird, awesome, fabulous, useful and useless stuff helped the Hot Tatamales raise close to $900 for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!

Thanks to Melissa, who sold some of those donated items on our behalf in a parking garage days before the sale even started.

Thanks to Jake, who hauled over a bunch of tables so we could properly display hundreds of remaining sale items.

A special thanks to Anna, Kristen, Gulshan, Kimberly, Kris and others who battled mosquitoes, heat and exhaustion to help us unpack all those damn pint glasses, price all those Christmas ornaments, hang all those clothes and bring some semblance of organization to our yard sale set-up.

Thanks to Jack and Zoë for overseeing the sweaty, sophisticated operation. Anna, thanks for the pizza that fueled the operation.

Thanks to Leila, who baked and packaged the most delicious cookies for the Breast Yard Sale Ever.

Thanks to the shoppers who lined up at 6:30 a.m. and patiently waited for the gate to open. Thanks to those who couldn’t make it to the sale but enthusiastically reached out to us on Facebook and text to make purchases.

To those who drove a hard bargain as well as those who insisted we keep the change – even when the change was $99.75 – we love you. To those who tossed $20 bills in the tip jar, you’re awesome! To the gentleman who took out his phone, scanned our QR code and made a $200 donation to the team while quietly standing in the driveway with his youngest son, you are our hero.

To Isabel and her son, no one shops a yard sale like you! Thank you for buying more than anyone else. And thanks to Courtenay for donating Isabel’s new wardrobe.

Finally, we want to thank everyone who stuck around after the Breast Yard Sale Ever to help us pack up the remaining items. Sean, thanks for helping us count the money!

The Hot Tatamales are excited to announce that we’ll be doing the Avon 39 Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City this year!

We all know there’s strength in numbers, so it’s with great strength that we’ll work together and walk toward putting an end to the suffering caused by breast cancer.

We are deeply committed to the cause and pledge to raise at least $4,500 before we hit the streets of New York City in October and walk 39.3 miles to raise breast cancer awareness. This wouldn’t be possible without your support.

Over the weekend, the Hot Tatamales took to the streets of Houston to raise breast cancer awareness and show our support for the Avon Foundation’s efforts to end this vicious disease.

With flames on our shoes, tutus on our hips and shirts emblazoned with our “vulgar and/or offensive” logo across our chests, collectively we walked roughly 372 miles – the distance between Houston and New Orleans.

We did it with one bad back, several foot injuries, a couple of bum knees, road rash, heat rash, countless blisters, aches, pains and some unfortunate chafing incidents. And it was totally worth it!

Before we even crossed the finish line at the 2014 Houston Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, we raised almost $37,600 to help provide breast cancer screenings, treatments and research for prevention and a cure. Our fundraising efforts also earned the Hot Tatamales a spot as one of Houston’s top five platinum teams. Not too shabby for our first year!

Jazz hands go up and woos go out to the people who gave up their weekends to help us go the distance.

Lisa, Wayne and Melissa, we couldn’t have asked for a more amazing support crew. Thank you for following us all over the city, going on supply runs, transporting injured and exhausted Hot Tatamales, playing upbeat music, being the loudest cheerleaders, helping to put up our tents for the night and going out of your way to make sure the Avon Walk organizers didn’t close the course before we finished on Day 1.

We are grateful for all the others who joined our support crew along the 39.3-mile route, which zigzagged through beautiful Houston neighborhoods.

Robert, thank you hosting a kickass party at our first rest stop at Mile 3.5. Those amazing breakfast tacos and beverages helped fuel Saturday morning’s walk. Kristen, thanks for bringing kolaches to the party. Yum!

Jeff, Kristen, Sara, Bryan and Melissa, thank you for making the best posters on the Avon route, waving them wildly and basically making spectacles of yourselves. We were feeling the love at every cheering section. You kept us laughing. You kept us going.

Speaking of love, this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our significant others. Roy, Michael, Sean, Robert and Ron, we are grateful for everything you did to help us on this journey to end breast cancer. And thank you for the hugs and kisses along the route, even though we were hot, sweaty messes.

We’d also like to thank the Taylors, Hansons and other friends and family who came out with pompoms and tutus to encourage us to go the distance.

Retro DJ to Go, thank you for providing great, energizing tunes. Just when we thought you couldn’t take one more step, you motivated us to boogie down the road.

Arianne, you are amazing. Thank you for volunteering at the last minute to be Avon’s massage therapist for all those aching and hobbling walkers. And thank you for staying late and risking hand cramps to take care of the Hot Tatamales’ team captain, one of the last to cross the finish line on Day 1.

Jeff, thank you for capturing scenes from our two-day walk and posting our progress on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine. Friends and family who couldn’t attend the walk loved the updates and we love being able to look back on these moments. Such great mash-ups and memories!

To the staff at Under the Volcano, thank you for being our motivation to get to Mile 19.8. And thank you for the beers and cocktails that made the last 6.3 miles on Day 1 a little easier. To the staff at City Oven, thank you for hosting our celebration at the end of 39.3 miles.

Ibuprofen, we couldn’t have done it without you. Also, a special thanks to Gatorade, Nutter Butters, Pirate’s Booty, sunscreen, antibacterial wipes, Vaseline and Body Glide (not to be confused with Astroglide). Johnson & Johnson, your advanced blister bandages are AMAZING. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste, thank you for making an effective remedy for one of our team members. And thank you for inspiring the juvenile jokes that we’ll no doubt be making for years to come.

Last but not least, we’d like to thank the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer organizers and volunteers who fed us, patched up our boo boos, helped us safely across every intersection, provided much-needed hot showers, inspired us and reminded us that the more of us who walk the more of us survive.

Avon, the Hot Tatamales are honored to be a part of this journey to end breast cancer. We’ll see you back out there in 2015!

As you all know, the Hot Tatamales will be walking 39.3 miles this weekend to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer screenings, treatments, patient support programs and research.

We are deeply committed to this cause and are proud to be one of Houston’s top teams participating in the 2014 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. We will walk for our mothers, our sisters and our friends. We will walk because we can. We will walk because others can’t.

We want to thank you all for your ongoing support.

For months, you’ve been donating money. You shaved your heads. You wore pink – lots and lots of pink.

You designed our logo and handouts, made posters and ordered buttons. You giggled about our logo. You liked, retweeted and shared every breast cancer-related item we posted on Facebook and Twitter. You blogged.

You baked. You sold delicious pink lemonade. You served as the Hot Tatamales’ official hair stylist. You allowed said hair stylist to spray your hair pink. You donated yard sale items. You parted with Tuna Can Man. You shopped at the “Breast Yard Sale Ever!”

You voted for Buffy. You broke boards with your bare hands and feet. You opened the doors to your restaurant. You ate delicious banh mi. You sang us songs. You donated silent auction items. You bid on silent auction items. You signed books. You purchased pink ribbon earrings and survivor bracelets. You sold shoes. You bought shoes.

You offered your sage advice and skills in the fundraising and event planning departments. You joined us on training walks. You even volunteered to come out and cheer this weekend.

In a nutshell, you’ve been amazing and we are so grateful for your friendship and your support.

Our A, B, C and D cups runneth over. Thank you for joining us on this journey to end breast cancer.

The Hot Tatamales are on fire! With less than two weeks until the Houston Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, the Hot Tatamales are ranked one of city’s top three teams!

We want to thank everyone who has helped us raise more than $35,000 for breast cancer research, detection, treatments and tests. We could not have done it without the support of hundreds of people who believed in us and in the mission of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

On this journey to end breast cancer, sometimes in the most unexpected places, we have met amazing people who have encouraged us, reminded us of the important work still yet to be done and cheered for us to keep going.

Tina Barnett of It’s A Diva is one of those people. In fact, she was one of the first to enthusiastically support the Hot Tatamales’ efforts to raise breast cancer awareness and funds to end this vicious disease.

Shortly after we formed the Hot Tatamales in 2013, two of our team members met Tina during a girls’ getaway in Fredericksburg, Texas. She had a girly, elaborate setup at a popular flea market, and Gulshan Rahman and Meredith Raine were instantly drawn to the fashionable koozies she was selling.

Her “Halter Collection” included koozies made with a fancy flame fabric – perfect for members of the Hot Tatamales who would no doubt want to dress up their water bottles during the 39.3-mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. (And the beer bottles after the walk!)

While admiring all the merchandise, Gulshan and Meredith struck up a conversation, told Tina a little bit about the team and asked about online orders. They expected a business card. What they got was a new friend.

Tina teared up and hugged them both. She was touched by how girlfriends rally when one of their besties is in need. And she wanted to make sure our Jill, who had just recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, had a free koozie to serve as a small reminder that everyone is cheering for her.

Since then, Tina has made sure the members of the Hot Tatamales are outfitted with fancy flame koozies when they take to the streets of Houston April 12-13 for the two-day Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Tina, we raise our koozies to you. Thank you for being such a faithful supporter in the fight against breast cancer.

Out of the darkness of breast cancer detection comes the light of survivorship.

After seeing a parallel between his own work and our fight against breast cancer, Prince Rahman, the proud brother of one of our Hot Tatamales, made a generous donation to our upcoming silent auction and raffle.

He donated four signed and numbered pieces of artwork originally published in “Out of Darkness, Comes Light,” a book of poetry.

Two of these absolutely gorgeous prints are ready for framing, and two are printed on canvas. All four were made exclusively for the Hot Tatamales’ event to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Rahman, an Atlanta-based writer and artist, also donated an autographed copy of “Out of Darkness, Comes Light,” plus an autographed copy of “The Star and the Leaf.”

Join us in the fight against breast cancer and come out for a chance to win these beautiful works donated by Rahman. The silent auction and raffle will be from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 at Hughies, 1802 W. 18th Street in the Houston Heights.

If you love craft beer, this one’s for you. A gift basket, overflowing with some of the best brews available, will be up for grabs during the Hot Tatamales’ silent auction from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 at Hughie’s Tavern & Grille, 1802 W. 18th Street in the Houston Heights.

Cheers to Ronnie Crocker for donating the basket, complete with a signed copy of “Houston Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Bayou City.”

In addition to donating the beer basket, the veteran Houston Chronicle editor and writer and Beer, TX blogger will sell and sign copies of his book during the breast cancer benefit. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Ronnie, we raise our glasses to you!

For more information about the upcoming breast cancer benefit, visit us on Facebook.